Venetian blind



Nov. 21, 1939. c, (:LANCY 2,180,863

VENETIAN BLIND Filed March 25, 1938 //o- /4, /2 I Iii-1- dim Patented No... 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Venetian blinds of the type disclosed in my application for patent filed August 18, 1936, Serial Number 96,649, and has for an object the provi- 5 sion of improved fixtures for such blinds, in-

cluding a simple and reliable catch means for automatically holding the blind in elevated position.

Another object of this invention is to provide 10 an automatic means for holding the Venetian blind in elevated position and which may be released and rendered inoperative by a simple manual manipulation of the flexible element employed for raising and lowering the blinds.

15 Another object is to provide a Venetian blind fixture of the character described which is in the form of a ferrule adapted to be mounted upon the head rail of a Venetian blind structure and which includes a fixed jaw and a'movable 20 jaw wherein the latter is automatically moved into and may be released from position holding the blind elevated, by manipulating the pull cord or flexible element employed for raising and lowering the blind.

25 Another object of this invention is to provide simple and inexpensive fixtures for tiltably supporting a head rail, and which facilitate the use of a single top rail instead of separate head and foot rails as usually employed in Venetian 30 blinds, while also providing for the support of a facia plate for concealing the head rail and mechanism thereon.

I have shown a preferred form of my invention in the accompanying drawing, subject to 35 modification within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Fig.1 represents a fragmentary front elevation of Venetian blind constructed in accord- 40 ance with this invention, with parts broken away and other parts in section for clarity of illustration,

Fig, 2 represents a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1,

45 Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed section taken the plane ofline 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view ofthe automatic catch shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 with 50 the catch released.

One embodiment of this invention comprises, as shown in the accompanying drawing, a tiltable head rail I carried by brackets 2 and 3 secured to a window frame 4 or the like and 55 supporting a Venetian blind structure including flexible hangers i and 3 to which slats I are secured in the usual manner. At the lower ends of these hangers is a foot rail 3 which is raised and lowered by means of a flexible element 9 in the form of a cord or cable with its ends se- 5 cured to said foot rail. This flexible element extends through openings II formed in the slats I and also through openings 12 in the head rail I and thence around pulleys l3 on said rail. The upper side of the head rail is formed with a 10 groove I4 extending the full length thereof and said flexible element is mounted for sliding movement in said groove. Near one end of the rail i the flexible element is doubled as at 11 and extended over a pulley l5 and thence downwardly 15 through a slot 13 in said end of the rail, the doubled or looped flexible element l'l hanging substantially vertically. It may be fastened to a cleat l3 on the frame, although this is not required in view of the provisions of this invention, as will be hereinafter explained.

A substantially U-shaped ferrule I9 which is fitted over the slotted end of the head rail and secured thereto by suitable fastening 20, has a bight portion 2i provided with an aperture 22 5 for reception of a pintle 23 carried by the bracket 2. The other end of the head rail is formed with a similar ferrule 24 which carries a pintle 25 engaged with the bracket 3. This pintle and the ferrule support a spring metal detent member 26 adapted to engage protuberances 21 on the bracket 3 for maintaining the bar in' tilted positions. The ferrule 24 has an upstanding portion 28 serving the purpose of a crank arm and has tilt cords 29 and 30 fixed thereto and extended downwardly therefrom so that the said cords may be manipulated to tilt the head rail as desired.

Means are provided for automatically locking the blind in elevated position and as here shown, comprises a stationary Jaw 3| formed integral with the lower part of the ferrule 19 and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom at an angle to the depending portion ll of the fiexible element 9. The lower portion or side 32 l of the ferrule 19 is provided with an elongated opening or slot 33 which extends into the downwardly turned terminal 34 of said portion 32. The looped portion ll of the flexible element 9 extends freely through said opening and is slidably engaged with an end of a tiltable and vertically movable jaw 35 supported between its ends in the downwardly turned terminal 34. The jaw 35 is provided on opposite sides with notches 36 receiving portions of the end 34 to retain the fir \ jaw 3|, whereby the flexible element may be freely manipulated to raise the-blind. The jaw is free to move vertically in that portion of the 'opening 32 extending into the terminal-portion 34.

When the weight of the blind is placed upon the looped portion 18 of the flexible element, as when the operator ceases to pull on the latter and the blind has been raised to the desired elevation, said looped portion l8 tends to pull upwardly, due to such weight, and thereby rocks and bodily lifts the jaw 35 so that said looped portion will be wedged or clamped against the angularly extended jaw 3|, whereby to maintain the flexible element and'the blind in the desired elevated p'osition. It is seen that this action takes place automatically immediately the operator releases the looped portion I8 01. the flexible element 9 after making the desired adjustment.

When it is desired to lower the shade or to adjust it otherwise, it is necessary to release the jaw 35 and the operator merely pulls downwardly on said looped portion while also moving it slightly outwardly to the left so that it will extend substantially parallel to the plane of the fixed jaw. This moves the flexible element out of wedging relation to jaw 35 and the latter will then gravitate into releasing position. -When in such position the flexible element may be pulled directly downwardly whereby to further elevate the shades if desired, but if the shade is to be lowered, it is then necessary to hold the,

chord so that it extends obliquelyand substantially parallel to the plane of the jaw 31 whereby. it will slide past the jaw 35 without lifting the same into wedging position.

It is now seen that I provide a simple, inexpensive and reliable automatic catch consisting of but two separate parts embodied as a part of and associated with the ferrule l9. The jaw 35 may be' .readily mounted in place and removed before the ferrule is fixed to the head rail, by inserting the jaw edgewise into the opening 33 and then turning it to bring the notches 36 into position to receive therein the portions of the ends 34, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby to loosely secure the jaw for bodily movement vertically and for rocking movement relative to said ferrule.

I claim:

1. A fixture for Venetian blinds including a member adapted to be fitted on an end of the head rail of a Venetian blind and provided with a lower side which is adapted to be horizontally disposed beneath said head rail and is provided with an elongated opening adapted to receive the flexible operating element of the blind, a downwardly extending portion formed integral with the inner end of said lower side and into which 2,180,863 "jaw in place. This arrangement provides a fula portion of said opening extends. a tiltable, bodily movable jaw mounted in said extended part of said opening and supported by said downwardly extended portion and adapted to be engaged at its outer end with said flexible element, and a jaw formed integral with the outer end of said lower side and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to a point opposite and outwardly spaced from .said end of said movable jaw for cooperation therewith to clamp and release said flexible element, said movable jaw having side notches in which portions of said downwardly extending portion are engaged.

2. A fixture for Venetian blinds comprising a U-shaped one-piece member adapted to be fitted on an end of the head rail of a Venetian blind with a lower side thereof extended horizontally along the underside of the blind, the inner end of saidside being bent downwardly at right angles to the remainder thereof, said side having an elongated opening therein which extends into the downwardly bent end and is adapted to receive the flexible operating element of the blind, a lever like jaw mounted in said extended part of said opening and supported by said downwardly extended end, said jaw having side notches between its ends loosely receiving portions of said downwardly extending end whereby the jaw is pivotally and bodily adjustably supported with its inner end thereof adapted to engage the underside of the head rail to limit the movement of the jaw in one direction, and the outer end thereof adapted to contact said flexible element and a jaw formed integral with said side and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to a point opposite said outer end of said movable jaw and cooperating with the latter to clamp and release said flexible element.

3. A fixture for Venetian blinds including a member adapted to be fitted on an end of the head rail of a Venetian blind and provided with a lower side which is adapted to be horizontally disposed beneath said head rail and is provided with an elongated opening adapted to receive the flexible operating element of the blind, a

downwardly extending portion formed integral with the inner end of said lower side and into which a portion of said opening extends, a tiltable, bodily movable jaw mounted in said extended part of said opening and supported by' said downwardly extended portion and adapted to be engaged at its outer end with said flexible element, and a jaw formed integral with the outer end of said lower side and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom to a point opposite and outwardly spaced from said end of said movable jaw for cooperation therewith to clamp and release said flexible element, said movable jaw having side notches in which portions of said downwardly extending portion are engaged, said member having a trunnion receiving aperture.

CHARLES E. CLANCY. 

